Just prior to finals week last semester, the Geneseo Healthguards hosted a Late Knight session of "Your Life's a Mess, Come De-stress!" With the help of Dana Minton, coordinator of health promotion at the Lauderdale Center for Student Health and Counseling, the Healthguards provided plenty of methods through which strained students could alleviate their worries about finals and papers.
According to Minton, college students tend toward a distinctive set of stressors related to developing independence, financial obligations, academic responsibilities and concern about the future. "Stress, [both] emotional and psychological has become a part of our everyday fast-paced lives," said Minton. "It is important for students to start learning to manage their stress before it becomes a problem."
The activities ranged from gingerbread house-making and finger-painting to chair massages and Reiki therapy. Senior Emily Rose Alvo, a Healthguard student coordinator said, "The activities we had at the event were mostly very simple fun which, when otherwise inundated with intellectually demanding work, are a welcome relief and a chance to give our strained brains a break from the world of academia." 175 students attended the session.
Don't fret if you missed this opportunity; Health and Counseling offers many programs meant to make the lives of college students easier. No time to attend events? Dana Minton gave some easy de-stressing tips: "Get enough sleep! Learn how to say no and make sure you aren't overbooked. Make time for you and only you, at least once a day, be it ten minutes of pure meditation, a long, hot shower, or a casual sports match with friends. Exercise is also one of the single best ways to reduce stress, both short- and long-term."
A full schedule of upcoming events is available here.